:00:16. > :00:23.Friday night rugby at the principality stadium in Cardiff,
:00:24. > :00:37.Wales with something to prove after two defeats.
:00:38. > :00:51.Long pass to Leigh Halfpenny! Back with a vengeance! What a finish,
:00:52. > :01:07.that is brilliant. Sexting going to the sin-bin. Jones with the try!
:01:08. > :01:17.Charged down by Faletau, Roberts over the line! Wales have just won
:01:18. > :01:27.the counter in a pulsating, enthralling game. -- the encounter.
:01:28. > :01:32.Good evening and welcome to Scrum V. It was also waiting and enthralling,
:01:33. > :01:36.all those things, and Wales delivered a performance we can all
:01:37. > :01:42.be proud of. Judging by the look on you lot, you have had a pretty good
:01:43. > :01:52.weekend. Behind me is the kayaks and to my right...
:01:53. > :02:00.By the bar as always we have Mr Sean Holley in the house! I think those
:02:01. > :02:07.beer barrels have run dry because drowning his sorrows all afternoon
:02:08. > :02:16.has been Ken Byrne. Shall we get our guests out? Please welcome Jonathan
:02:17. > :02:33.Davies... Peter Jackson... Wyn Jones and Martyn Williams.
:02:34. > :02:41.Evening, gents. You should have got addressed before you came out. You
:02:42. > :02:47.are smiling, good start. On a scale from one to ten, how much better
:02:48. > :02:58.with that? Good performance. The speed of the rocks was a lot better.
:02:59. > :03:02.-- the rucks. Terrific Test match, I think 47 in play so it was very
:03:03. > :03:11.high. Many things to commend but what about the defensive showing?
:03:12. > :03:15.Unbelievable. Second half we didn't have much of the ball and the
:03:16. > :03:19.defence was superb. When the final whistle went there was hardly any
:03:20. > :03:21.celebration from the Welsh boys, they collapsed, they had given
:03:22. > :03:27.everything. Unbelievable performance. We did see some
:03:28. > :03:37.celebration from the coaches' box. How much will this have relieved the
:03:38. > :03:43.pressure for the coaches? He was the only person in Wales who didn't want
:03:44. > :03:46.to make changes. He was putting his coaching credentials on the line by
:03:47. > :03:49.being so stubborn, determined, whatever you call it, letting the
:03:50. > :03:53.players would deem themselves. Had he lost it would have been curtains
:03:54. > :04:00.for his long-term future perhaps in terms of the job but he made a big
:04:01. > :04:04.call, stuck with it, he won and he has been vindicated to an extent and
:04:05. > :04:10.he will be very relieved with that performance. A lot at stake for the
:04:11. > :04:15.coaches and players as well. George North, did he take some kind of
:04:16. > :04:18.magic potion. They have to find some way of unleashing another 100
:04:19. > :04:24.rockets this week to get the same sort of performance. Credit where it
:04:25. > :04:28.was due, it was terrific, Rob Howley, decent bloke, delighted for
:04:29. > :04:32.him. I am delighted most of all for the fans because I think they have
:04:33. > :04:37.been short-changed this season. Does this compensate for the other
:04:38. > :04:42.performances? Certainly not but it was great to reconnect with Wales
:04:43. > :04:47.and the team. It struck me, something you can lose sight of
:04:48. > :04:52.easily, how much it means to the Welsh public. So many happy faces.
:04:53. > :04:55.You are pleased for them because they have been aching for a
:04:56. > :05:00.performance like this. You probably would have to get a psychologist to
:05:01. > :05:05.ask you, why does it take torrents of criticism to produce that?
:05:06. > :05:11.Players don't try to lose a Test match. You need to be there. There
:05:12. > :05:16.are two incidences against Scotland, defence of individual errors, should
:05:17. > :05:22.have one the match, England, they should have kicked the ball into
:05:23. > :05:29.touch immediately. They just didn't get over the line against England
:05:30. > :05:33.but it was good. You can say if Henshaw didn't do what he did... We
:05:34. > :05:40.will get into that. Shane Byrne, how are you? What is the perspective
:05:41. > :05:48.from an Irish point of view? Brilliant! I will continue getting
:05:49. > :05:54.the chance to drown my short -- my sorrows but they are only giving the
:05:55. > :05:59.water. There is a big sense of disappointment and a little tinge of
:06:00. > :06:03.anger with Joe Schmidt. Afterwards he is always very calm and measured
:06:04. > :06:11.and we get the feeling that maybe it is time, we expect he is doing it in
:06:12. > :06:16.training, but get out the sword and absolutely hammer it. We don't have
:06:17. > :06:21.a rudder down the pitch, the attack was too predictable, and it fed into
:06:22. > :06:25.it. You can't allow Welsh tales to be upcoming you can't let the crowd
:06:26. > :06:32.getting behind it and that is what they did. Very disappointing. It
:06:33. > :06:36.sounds like very familiar accusations, no creativity in the
:06:37. > :06:42.attack, etc. First, let's relive the highlights of what went down on
:06:43. > :06:50.Friday night. This time we can do it without the tension.
:06:51. > :07:04.Williams again. Dan Biggar. Zebo has it. But the kick in. Dan Biggar
:07:05. > :07:12.heads back. Very well played by Dan Biggar. He watches, goes to ground,
:07:13. > :07:18.can Joel -- cajoles the ball over line. Very good play. Ken Owens
:07:19. > :07:28.throws, one button wins the line-out. Moriarty to Rhys Webb.
:07:29. > :07:32.Scott Williams is through, passed to Leigh Halfpenny, to George North.
:07:33. > :07:41.Nor is back with a vengeance! -- George North is. Great support play,
:07:42. > :07:46.brilliant passing, great vision. The support they have lacked in past
:07:47. > :07:57.games, what a finish from George North. What does it mean to him to
:07:58. > :08:04.be back in that fashion! Jake Ball. It is a penalty for Wales at last.
:08:05. > :08:10.Two halfpenny, Jonathan Davies, a foot short. -- to Leigh Halfpenny.
:08:11. > :08:34.Advantage again, yellow card. Jonny Sexton is going into the
:08:35. > :08:41.sin-bin. Really killing the ball on the line.
:08:42. > :08:50.Leigh Halfpenny lands the penalty. Ken Owens prepares the throw, five
:08:51. > :09:14.metres from the Irish line. Arlene Wyn Jones.
:09:15. > :09:29.A second try. Great vision, he sucks Zebo in and schools. He has made
:09:30. > :09:37.such a mark on this game. -- in and he scores. It is there for Marmian.
:09:38. > :09:47.Sean O'Brien, Sam Warburton tries to grab the ball. Ringrose. A high
:09:48. > :09:58.tackle, accidental but the penalty is still given. The referee says it
:09:59. > :10:00.is still a high tackle. Jonny Sexton masterminding the Irish comeback.
:10:01. > :10:13.15-9. Clever play by Ireland. Scott
:10:14. > :10:29.Charteris getting near the ball and on comes Best. Rory Best edges
:10:30. > :10:32.closer. No, I can't allow it. I think the forwards will be
:10:33. > :10:38.absolutely crazy because it seemed to be going in the right direction,
:10:39. > :10:43.seemed to be slowly... Henshaw comes in and goes in front of the ball and
:10:44. > :10:51.reignites the drive. He has disallowed it and given the penalty.
:10:52. > :10:59.Shelters the ball for Marmian. Sexton. It is narrow, it has gone
:11:00. > :11:10.wrong for Ireland, but has it gone backward? It has gone forwards.
:11:11. > :11:22.Ireland trailed by six points. Sexton, charged down by Faletau.
:11:23. > :11:35.Roberts... Roberts! Wales have just won the counter. -- encounter. Sam
:11:36. > :11:38.Davies knocks on, the game is over, Wales have the victory. They have
:11:39. > :11:53.beaten Ireland 22-9. That is how the 80 minutes panned
:11:54. > :12:02.out. Let's hear from those involved on the night. The players I thought
:12:03. > :12:06.have been outstanding since the Scotland game, very honest about
:12:07. > :12:14.where praise of 15, 20 minutes after the second half. ? Their appraisal.
:12:15. > :12:17.We all felt they wanted to go out against the best supporters in world
:12:18. > :12:20.rugby and give a performance that they are proud of and I think they
:12:21. > :12:31.certainly did that. I don't think it was about proving a
:12:32. > :12:38.point to anybody outside the camp, if that makes sense. Like Robert
:12:39. > :12:41.said, there was a bit of Hertha the individual in the group. It was
:12:42. > :12:46.difficult, a lot of fingers have been pointed from outside the squad
:12:47. > :12:50.but from inside the squad I haven't known a closer group. They are
:12:51. > :12:55.quality players, we know them from playing week in week out in the
:12:56. > :12:58.Pro12. We weren't saying there was any kind of demise, we knew this
:12:59. > :13:10.would be a tough test and it proved to be that. You have to get people
:13:11. > :13:13.on your side when you play aside as good as they are. They played really
:13:14. > :13:17.well, their set pieces and defence were strong. I think we have
:13:18. > :13:27.answered the questions from the coaches today. There are still parts
:13:28. > :13:31.to improve the me and the squad but we can be pleased what we did
:13:32. > :13:34.without the ball, that we still went for it forthright at the end, so
:13:35. > :13:40.there is ambition there and on the whole we can take that but there
:13:41. > :13:44.will be areas of improvement. We played quite smart but probably
:13:45. > :13:52.disappointed in terms of the contact area, the back row in particular.
:13:53. > :13:57.Was that a concerted effort to play closer to the gain line or was that
:13:58. > :14:05.Ireland's defence? Probably a bit of both. High risk, high reward staff
:14:06. > :14:11.they were playing and we were probably a bit too wide on
:14:12. > :14:16.occasions, leaving the ball in the air too long. We probably should
:14:17. > :14:22.have played on the inside channels more. And training park on Monday we
:14:23. > :14:25.against France, they probably one of the best sides in the championship
:14:26. > :14:31.will stop we know how to win there but we have to make sure that our
:14:32. > :14:38.attitude this week is the same as last week. We will put huge pressure
:14:39. > :14:42.on ourselves on Monday morning to pimp -- to improve on that
:14:43. > :14:48.performance because we will need to in Paris.
:14:49. > :14:52.How do we interpret this win? We have sat here for weeks on end
:14:53. > :15:01.tearing in two our performances. Completely satisfied? I don't think
:15:02. > :15:10.they are so we shouldn't. I think Alan win said people will be
:15:11. > :15:15.euphoric walking to the pubs, but they felt the pressure and gave a
:15:16. > :15:22.performance for the supporters. The ruck speed was better, they looked
:15:23. > :15:31.more creative, they lost the battle, which we are so good at, but we can
:15:32. > :15:36.do a lot more offensively. England were brilliant yesterday. If you see
:15:37. > :15:43.spot defenders coming out like Sexton, send a big man over the top
:15:44. > :15:47.of him, because he has a history of injuries. When he makes a lot of
:15:48. > :15:52.tackles he gets that he so when he gets the ball he is not as effective
:15:53. > :15:56.or you just get an inside ball and run on the inside of him. A lot of
:15:57. > :16:00.things need to be improved but I thought it was a far better
:16:01. > :16:03.performance and we answered a lot of questions that were asked previously
:16:04. > :16:09.in the tournament. Some of those questions were to a Wales team in
:16:10. > :16:15.decline, searching for an identity? To what extent do you think that
:16:16. > :16:18.marks a significant turning point? I don't think it necessarily marks a
:16:19. > :16:24.turning point. We know that in a street fight this side are as good
:16:25. > :16:29.as anybody, against England it was 15-9 until the last few minutes, an
:16:30. > :16:34.old story of blood and thunder rugby. We have impressive
:16:35. > :16:38.physicality. Attacking, we scored three tries against Ireland, one
:16:39. > :16:42.against England and against Scotland, all from the first phase.
:16:43. > :16:46.Our phase play doesn't create tries, the more we go through phases the
:16:47. > :16:51.less likely we are to break them down. We have to get better at that
:16:52. > :16:56.and it is hard. It tells you we have the chance our I'm a bit more from
:16:57. > :17:00.first phase. It was good to see ten minutes into the game we had a
:17:01. > :17:05.line-out in our half, we went wide, got the ball into George North's
:17:06. > :17:11.hands, he knocked the opposing player head over heels and he got us
:17:12. > :17:16.going. I have been crying out for them to do that. We use these words
:17:17. > :17:23.like earn the right to go white, we didn't earn anything, we just went
:17:24. > :17:28.wide. -- go wide. We are rubbish through the phases, get a penalty,
:17:29. > :17:32.counterattack and turnovers, that is where we scored tries, and that is
:17:33. > :17:36.maybe getting through to them a bit now. In terms of a team under
:17:37. > :17:41.pressure, character, attitude, that is where the defence came in and it
:17:42. > :17:45.was outstanding. On the defence, you touched on it at the top, 100
:17:46. > :17:49.tackles in the second half, backs to the wall stuff, Shaun Edwards was
:17:50. > :17:53.absolutely pumped, you could see him in the stands. He will be delighted
:17:54. > :17:57.because it has been poor at times during the campaign but what does it
:17:58. > :18:03.tell asked about the spirit and unity in the squad that they held
:18:04. > :18:10.that line intact? It was two individual mistakes against
:18:11. > :18:19.Scotland. The defence has been good. Warburton and Tippett on Friday
:18:20. > :18:26.night really stood up, Ireland threw everything at us, whether the aerial
:18:27. > :18:35.battle, they won the high balls but we stopped the driving line up. They
:18:36. > :18:43.said Bob that. It -- they sent O'Brien down and we stop to that.
:18:44. > :18:47.62% possession for them and we stood firm.
:18:48. > :18:52.Decision-making was much better. When Ireland went down to 14 men we
:18:53. > :18:55.haven't always taken advantage of that, Australia in the World Cup
:18:56. > :19:01.being an example. Mentally we looked stronger. I thought Wales looked
:19:02. > :19:11.smart, and impressive all-round performance, they made the most of
:19:12. > :19:22.Sexton's time. Tomorrow morning they will think they must have missed a
:19:23. > :19:26.trick. It happened in the last 30 seconds when George North made the
:19:27. > :19:33.last of his career ring runs, he had the ball in one hand, said I am not
:19:34. > :19:38.going to pass it to anybody, but after two tackles there was a simple
:19:39. > :19:43.inside pass to Gareth, which probably would have given him a
:19:44. > :19:48.clear run between the posts. Bonus points can get you up a place, the
:19:49. > :19:54.difference between fourth and second, where Wales are now and
:19:55. > :20:01.where they could conceivably be. What we were good at as well,
:20:02. > :20:06.against Scotland, they off-loaded. On this occasion they didn't hand
:20:07. > :20:10.the possession over. When we start losing, everybody is going, change
:20:11. > :20:14.this and that, the best players in Wales play for Wales at the moment
:20:15. > :20:17.and we don't have the strength in depth people think. We need more
:20:18. > :20:24.performance directing, the coaches are doing as much as they can at
:20:25. > :20:28.Academy and regional level. We need people to say, we will improve these
:20:29. > :20:32.players. When you look at somebody like Jamie Roberts who has done the
:20:33. > :20:37.job to ten years, he hasn't improved much as a player but he has done the
:20:38. > :20:43.job he needed. Scott Williams, Jonathan Davies, they need to work
:20:44. > :20:49.on their kicking, Dan Biggar has to be a bit flatter, Halfpenny... We
:20:50. > :20:51.need somebody to say, get these players better at international
:20:52. > :20:55.level. We have the best players there but we're not seeing the best
:20:56. > :21:08.of them. He is talking himself into a jot! Luckily I see somebody like
:21:09. > :21:12.Johnny Wilkinson. -- a job. Andrew John in Australia, he goes around
:21:13. > :21:18.and he meant is. We say change this, change that, we don't have the
:21:19. > :21:26.players. You mean an individual consultant or a skills coach. Just
:21:27. > :21:34.say, he to work on his kicking. Farrell looks so confident, England
:21:35. > :21:39.against Scotland, straighten up, they held ten, 12 and 13, didn't
:21:40. > :21:44.want -- didn't know what to do with dummy runs. If we don't make changes
:21:45. > :21:51.we want know if we have got any depth. We are approaching two years
:21:52. > :21:54.out of the next World Cup and we have maybe given three new caps
:21:55. > :21:58.since the last one. How do we know, if Dan Biggar goes down with injury,
:21:59. > :22:05.you don't want sub Eddie who has barely played a few minutes to come
:22:06. > :22:11.on. -- somebody who has. I agree that individual skills should be
:22:12. > :22:16.improved but unless we put boys on the pitch and find out how good they
:22:17. > :22:21.are we will never know. It is like Ross Moriarty, who would have said
:22:22. > :22:27.that he would be playing instead of Tony Faletau by the end of the
:22:28. > :22:31.tournament? It was accident rather than design. England and Ireland are
:22:32. > :22:37.testing players out, granted, they have done it from a position of
:22:38. > :22:41.strength, but you have to do it. There was a graphic, you may have
:22:42. > :22:46.seen it on the BBC coverage, showing Wales at the bottom of that table.
:22:47. > :22:55.You have Argentina at the top, 26 new caps since the last World Cup.
:22:56. > :22:59.Wales, only three, Sam Davies, Cory Hill and Ellis Jenkins. Unless we
:23:00. > :23:04.give these ball was -- boys ago we don't know whether they are at test
:23:05. > :23:08.level. It is twofold, the coaches feel they are under so much pressure
:23:09. > :23:12.they can't experiment. If they lose everybody gets on their case. As
:23:13. > :23:19.well we don't have the strength in depth we think we have, but we
:23:20. > :23:23.always see the third game, the game against the lesser nations, throw
:23:24. > :23:27.everybody in. It is impossible for those players to gel together. We
:23:28. > :23:33.need to drip feed them in. We never do that and those boys always go in
:23:34. > :23:41.en masse, against Japan or Fiji. They lose against Fiji and they are
:23:42. > :23:49.written off. -- against Samoa. We had a chat about the autumn lasted,
:23:50. > :23:53.if they don't lose by 30 points against Australia, they put players
:23:54. > :23:56.and against Japan, but because you lose heavily you can sense the
:23:57. > :24:02.pressure. In the camp you think, shall we make changes? In the camp
:24:03. > :24:09.everybody gets nervous and it is all about winning so it is a balance. It
:24:10. > :24:15.was inexcusable for them to not play Keelan Giles against Japan. With all
:24:16. > :24:19.respect to Japan, it is not as big as the game last Friday. My views on
:24:20. > :24:27.that are well-known. I thought it was inexcusable that they didn't cap
:24:28. > :24:31.Steph Evans. We have one more game left in the time and so we will talk
:24:32. > :24:42.about that but we have to yesterday's game to talk about.
:24:43. > :24:45.I think Rob Howley gave all of those players an opportunity to redeem
:24:46. > :24:49.themselves in terms of effort and commitment they did that. To get a
:24:50. > :24:52.result against a good Irish side, under so much pressure, keeping
:24:53. > :24:57.going to the end shows real determination in the squad. Great
:24:58. > :25:03.performance, gutsy. I said before the game that I thought we would
:25:04. > :25:07.edge a win and we got across the line and the effort was tremendous,
:25:08. > :25:14.the defensive effort was one of the best I have seen. It was certainly a
:25:15. > :25:22.universe away from the second half against Scotland. But I thought the
:25:23. > :25:26.game was won by the defence. When they review the game they've will
:25:27. > :25:31.feel it was one that got away. I thought Wales were magnificent but
:25:32. > :25:39.Ireland are usually proud of themselves and they create the
:25:40. > :25:40.options but they didn't tonight. Credit to Wales, magnificent
:25:41. > :25:47.defensive performance from the first minute. I think we pinched three
:25:48. > :25:52.line-outs in critical areas of the game. What pleased me was the way we
:25:53. > :25:55.stopped the Irish driving line and ported their confidence. No matter
:25:56. > :26:03.how good they were going into the game, all teams are the same on the
:26:04. > :26:14.back foot. When Sexton went off they looked a bit lost and when they came
:26:15. > :26:17.back on we were dangerous. We mixed the game Opera North and I was
:26:18. > :26:26.chuffed the George North, a lot of pressure and Giroud Lee wanted it.
:26:27. > :26:30.-- we mixed the game up a lot. With the warning he has had, that first
:26:31. > :26:34.try meant more to him than the rest of the stadium put together. It will
:26:35. > :26:39.be a different sort of game against the French, they are coming back,
:26:40. > :26:46.they will have a powerful scrum, so a bigger test than today. A terrific
:26:47. > :26:50.victory tonight and why can't they go to France and when? But have done
:26:51. > :26:59.in the past and have had a lot of success there in recent years. --
:27:00. > :27:10.France and to win. The two standout performances so far were Rhys Webb
:27:11. > :27:13.and Conor Murray. And almost overwhelmingly positive
:27:14. > :27:19.performance from those at the stadium. What did you think? Lots of
:27:20. > :27:22.stuff to analyse. Some fine margins meant it could have gone another way
:27:23. > :27:28.but I prefer to concentrate on the positives. Some of the fine margins,
:27:29. > :27:32.the smaller things, are what the coaches are pleased about. Look at
:27:33. > :27:36.Dan Biggar trapped in the bottom corner, not just clears but takes
:27:37. > :27:40.its 60 metres downfield, his forwards would be pleased. Look at
:27:41. > :27:44.Williams coming in, Henshaw is over the ball and he does his job,
:27:45. > :27:48.something that doesn't get noticed. This is not a perfect tackle by
:27:49. > :27:55.Leigh Halfpenny but enough to rescue it. Would any other player have done
:27:56. > :28:01.this on the night, the composure to do this, sublime skill from Dan
:28:02. > :28:06.Biggar? The set piece, Ireland attacked but the scrum was rock
:28:07. > :28:11.solid, if not on top. We scored some crucial line-outs in crucial
:28:12. > :28:15.positions. Luke Charteris's first intervention was to get in front and
:28:16. > :28:21.steal it from Best. There were critical moments in the game, this
:28:22. > :28:26.is the head injury assessment. Paddy Jackson was on fresh tomato time and
:28:27. > :28:32.Wales were smart. The top of the jump and a great lift. Moriarty
:28:33. > :28:37.looks like he is going into a more but he peels out. Rhys Webb in the
:28:38. > :28:42.ten position and Jackson has a lot to do. He leaves O'Brien a bit high
:28:43. > :28:47.and dry on the dogleg. Scott Williams goes through and great
:28:48. > :28:51.insights about from Scott Webb. Straight to Carney, leaving the
:28:52. > :28:55.space outside. Great skills and George North back to his best, does
:28:56. > :29:01.the rest. The next critical moment only with the yellow card, was it
:29:02. > :29:05.not? When sextant gets in here Wales are smart, Jonathan Davies and the
:29:06. > :29:11.boys know what they are doing. -- when sextant gets in. It is the
:29:12. > :29:18.correct decision to go to the sin-bin. Wales were at it even at
:29:19. > :29:26.half-time, they came out early and warmed up. Look at Tipuric and
:29:27. > :29:30.Moriarty goes to zero, puts it in behind and Leigh Halfpenny but Conor
:29:31. > :29:33.Murray off the field. They needed to score when they were a man down and
:29:34. > :29:42.they took their chance really well. Look at George North behind the --.
:29:43. > :29:48.All Irish eyes are on the maul. Rory Best is committed to the forward
:29:49. > :29:54.drive. Conor Murray is in there protecting were Sexton should have
:29:55. > :30:00.been. A great score. Up the other end, did Ireland score here? No.
:30:01. > :30:05.Henshaw the centre joins in front of the ball carrier, Rory Best. That is
:30:06. > :30:08.illegal, Barnes is on the spot once again. Some of the individual
:30:09. > :30:14.performances and Warburton was immense. I've together in hand, it
:30:15. > :30:47.kicked out. They seemed Do you want to pick up on a few of
:30:48. > :30:54.those critical point is that were mentioned their? Henshaw joining the
:30:55. > :31:02.rolling maul? How infuriated but you have been as a back? You would
:31:03. > :31:06.think, because they love Patterson, they have these ten man line-ups,
:31:07. > :31:11.they would know the laws, but these backs... We were lucky because they
:31:12. > :31:14.were over and that was a turning point certainly in the second half
:31:15. > :31:21.because they were all waiting for the conversion to go ahead. And Sean
:31:22. > :31:27.made the point that it was exactly the right decision. Mick has
:31:28. > :31:33.admitted that afterwards, completely right decision, no controversy at
:31:34. > :31:38.all. If you are a forward there you are thinking, what does he do?
:31:39. > :31:43.Kicked the conversion, they go in front. We say in rugby, so often,
:31:44. > :31:55.small margins are turning points. But there, with Sexton... That
:31:56. > :31:59.analysis was spot-on. Because he's lip and a Brayan Garcia loosely
:32:00. > :32:08.top-class players, and to reduce them, really to stand-by rolls on
:32:09. > :32:15.Friday night took some doing. He's lost the captaincy but he's playing
:32:16. > :32:18.the best rugby of his life. If we don't control the runners at the
:32:19. > :32:22.front five then our back row gets sucked in and then out the game and
:32:23. > :32:26.your standards are running at 10-12, but the front five did the job so
:32:27. > :32:34.well, they involve the back row not getting it tackle areas, and then
:32:35. > :32:36.they put in the hits. I thought that Tipuric was more effective
:32:37. > :32:40.defensively than I have ever seen him before. We have not seen him
:32:41. > :32:46.live a place for the Ospreys being creative but he did a different job
:32:47. > :32:53.on Friday night very well. Who, I want that Welsh 18 will have
:32:54. > :32:57.enhanced their France credentials? One guy who has been consistent is
:32:58. > :32:59.Ken Owens, throughout the tournament, he's been outstanding,
:33:00. > :33:05.the standout hooker over the four games. He has hit his jumpers in the
:33:06. > :33:18.line-out and scrummaged really well and has tackled well. So for me, he
:33:19. > :33:22.is outstanding. That is the calling from Alun Wyn Jones. Expecting to
:33:23. > :33:28.win the ball, then to lose it. And the back row boys, all three of
:33:29. > :33:40.them, Moriarty, again, hard grafting. And their physicality was
:33:41. > :33:46.superb. You mentioned Ken Owens. As the celebration and to get them on
:33:47. > :33:50.the line, to be their? Look at them, full of emotion. Let's talk about
:33:51. > :33:55.Ken Owens and the battle between him and Rory Best. What do you make of
:33:56. > :33:58.it? Ken has been fantastic through the Six Nations. Even when the
:33:59. > :34:01.performances have not been wonderful, he has shown himself all
:34:02. > :34:08.the way through the season to be a great player. Rory Best, on the day,
:34:09. > :34:13.he can't be happy with just being a good book on the day. He is also the
:34:14. > :34:16.leader on the pitch. And that was starting to slip, no doubt about it.
:34:17. > :34:20.It was something that came up in the game previously, his debate with
:34:21. > :34:25.Sexton about whether to go for the posts go for the corner and he
:34:26. > :34:31.arrived again and again. I don't think his captaincy has gone as well
:34:32. > :34:35.as it should. But, as a player, when things are going badly, particularly
:34:36. > :34:39.in the line-out for ago, a lot of the responsibility goes on Devin
:34:40. > :34:44.Toner. The calling in the line-out has been deplorable. They are always
:34:45. > :34:50.prone to traffic. That was, most of the calls that they threw in, you go
:34:51. > :34:54.where they are not. That is key. It doesn't always have to be the
:34:55. > :34:58.spectacular ball at the back of the line-out, as Wales shirt. Just win
:34:59. > :35:00.the bloody thing, get it to the bloody thing, get into that one.
:35:01. > :35:04.These were the things that were lacking. The one thing that Wales
:35:05. > :35:10.did well, their senior players came up when they were needed and in
:35:11. > :35:15.Ireland, that didn't happen. They're talking about Ken Owens and Rory
:35:16. > :35:19.Best. I am not talking about Dylan Hartley, who is the England captain
:35:20. > :35:25.then you look at Jamie Jordan sitting on the bench for England.
:35:26. > :35:29.Usually, the Grand Slam captain has a good shout to be captain. It
:35:30. > :35:33.doesn't always happen but with Martin Johnson in 2001, it happen,
:35:34. > :35:37.then they didn't go for Gareth Thomas they went for Brian
:35:38. > :35:42.O'Driscoll. And, at the moment, with the best will in the world, Dylan
:35:43. > :35:46.Hartley is probably number three choice behind Ken Owens, who has
:35:47. > :35:50.been incredible. Probably he has jumped to the top of the pecking
:35:51. > :35:55.order with Jamie George behind him. It will be a big call to leave the
:35:56. > :35:58.captain of the Grand Slam, assuming a bit much, though, but certainly
:35:59. > :36:05.the champion steam, to leave him behind. Interestingly, Marton, the
:36:06. > :36:10.odds on Sam Warburton -- Sam Warburton being capped now getting
:36:11. > :36:18.shorter. Warburton was released on the captaincy and it has massively
:36:19. > :36:24.released and improved his attitude. For me, Sam Warburton is at his best
:36:25. > :36:28.when he goes out and creates havoc. Not worrying about the captaincy and
:36:29. > :36:31.what comes with it. He has spoken before the tournament about how much
:36:32. > :36:42.that has affected him, all the extra stuff. Alan Wyn Fognini are still
:36:43. > :36:47.the man. He would make an even better Lions captain. I would have
:36:48. > :36:58.him in for the last four games. -- Alun Wyn, for me,... We have
:36:59. > :37:02.problems with your microphone. I think the selection for a lot of the
:37:03. > :37:10.positions is fascinating. As Pete said. You look at the England team,
:37:11. > :37:14.how many of those players are not going, then fill the spots? That is
:37:15. > :37:19.a weird is going to go, because they are playing well. Friday was my game
:37:20. > :37:23.was big for the Welsh players, and then next week, it is a massive game
:37:24. > :37:35.for the Irish to pit themselves against the English for the Lions
:37:36. > :37:47.squad. And you can be on the karaoke team now, only joking! The Welsh
:37:48. > :37:48.woman took on their Irish counterparts and the U20s were in
:37:49. > :37:57.action at Colwyn Bay. Pressure on Wales were again. In for
:37:58. > :38:21.the try. Strong scrum by Arlen but Wales,
:38:22. > :38:27.wheeling round. Short initially. We may very well see the television
:38:28. > :38:38.match official... For me, the player has been taken to ground as she
:38:39. > :38:42.placed the ball. So that is a try. Now, Ireland shunting Wales back.
:38:43. > :38:49.Jenny Murphy has it. Jenny Murphy falling down to the ground. Muldoon
:38:50. > :38:56.moves it quickly. Stapleton. It goes down in the corner. Really proud of
:38:57. > :39:00.the way that the reactor to everything that was going on. We
:39:01. > :39:04.knew that it would be a tough day. Even though we didn't get the
:39:05. > :39:15.results, the guilty -- the girls wanted to put in a performance.
:39:16. > :39:21.Heads up towards halfway. He puts on a bit of gas, as well. Finds the
:39:22. > :39:28.ball from Nash. And the Irish skipper is rounder Welsh the bench
:39:29. > :39:34.to score from nothing. Blackett getting it out. Could be a chance.
:39:35. > :39:43.Ben Jones. Beautiful pass putting Corrie Tarrant over. Jones assessing
:39:44. > :39:50.his options. Feeding it onto Ward, and mopping up the damage. Williams,
:39:51. > :39:56.then, on the counter. Almost through his man. Back in field to Cam Lewis.
:39:57. > :40:09.And then inside to Dane Blacker. And black is over. -- Blacker is over.
:40:10. > :40:13.Wales, again. Neat hands from Wales. And Kieran Williams with an
:40:14. > :40:24.absolutely glorious break. And the try. Ireland have got about one
:40:25. > :40:36.metre to go. They have got the ball on the line. And that could be the
:40:37. > :40:40.try that levels the scores. Down the middle comes Kieran Williams. He
:40:41. > :40:50.heads for the posts. What a moment for the Ospreys youngster. Wales,
:40:51. > :40:56.looking for the rumble over for a fifth try. Have they got it? The
:40:57. > :41:02.referee, Ridley, is in. And Wales have made sure of try number five.
:41:03. > :41:05.That was a good performance against a good Irish team and some of the
:41:06. > :41:08.rugby we played at times was excellent. Just very pleased for the
:41:09. > :41:16.players that they got rewarded for that. Good performance which took a
:41:17. > :41:20.lot of commitment, tonight. Congratulations to Jason strange and
:41:21. > :41:24.his team. Another fine win in Colwyn Bay, taking them to second. England
:41:25. > :41:31.have already been crowned champions in the U20s championship. As for the
:41:32. > :41:36.woman, Wales remain for following that defeat to Ireland. Next week it
:41:37. > :41:41.is a winner takes all clash as Ireland and England face off in a
:41:42. > :41:46.title decider. Let's round up the rest of the senior men's Six Nations
:41:47. > :41:51.action with England hoping to win the Six Nations with one game to
:41:52. > :41:54.spare. Scotland had the Triple Crown in their sights and were going in
:41:55. > :42:00.search of the first victory at Twickenham since 1983. The challenge
:42:01. > :42:04.was almost over before it began with Fraser Brown fortunate not to see
:42:05. > :42:10.red. That's a yellow card. England took immediate advantage with
:42:11. > :42:19.Jonathan Joseph providing the spark for an utterly ruthless display.
:42:20. > :42:23.Joseph, flying to the line! Hartley, goes long, wonderful take by
:42:24. > :42:29.Courtney Lawes. And Joseph once again through the middle. Lovely
:42:30. > :42:37.step. What a try from Jonathan Joseph, two tries! The England
:42:38. > :42:42.line-out functioning so well. And the pass worked out well. Joseph
:42:43. > :42:48.again, and the runner is there, and the try is therefore Anthony Watson.
:42:49. > :42:56.Still England come through Nathan Hughes. A quick ball for England.
:42:57. > :43:08.And a try, a hat-trick, for Jonathan Joseph. Two and a half minutes into
:43:09. > :43:13.the second half. Itoje takes it down and end and try again. They are
:43:14. > :43:17.driving, charging towards the line, the try is there. And it is the
:43:18. > :43:27.giant returning to the side, Billy Vunipola. Itoje the important man in
:43:28. > :43:37.the line-out. And onto Danny Care on the line and the try is there again.
:43:38. > :43:40.It looked so simple, by England. 12 phases of interplay then into the
:43:41. > :43:46.scrum-half, and Joe Launchbury, to the roar of the crowd, and Danny
:43:47. > :43:52.Care, now, gives it to Mako Vunipola. And the final pass, it is
:43:53. > :43:56.Danny Care and England with a conversion still to come will surely
:43:57. > :44:02.hit 60. England are Six Nations champions again. That trophy will
:44:03. > :44:10.come next week. For now, England celebrate and hold the Calcutta Cup.
:44:11. > :44:13.In the earlier game on Saturday, Wales' next opponents, France,
:44:14. > :44:18.looking to make hay in the Roman sunshine. Sergio Parisse put the
:44:19. > :44:25.Italians in front before French nerves were settled with one of
:44:26. > :44:27.their own. Further tries followed from Louis Picamoles before this
:44:28. > :44:34.long-range effort sealed the victory and the bonus points. France now
:44:35. > :44:42.return to Paris looking to cement a top half finish for the first time
:44:43. > :44:46.since 2011. And if they are to do that they'll need to beat Wales on a
:44:47. > :44:51.final we. Wales can still finish second if they do the business in
:44:52. > :44:55.Paris. The game of the weekend for the mutual has to be against
:44:56. > :44:59.England. Not the title decider many anticipated, Ireland can stop
:45:00. > :45:03.England winning the title but they can stop them winning the Grand Slam
:45:04. > :45:09.and they can stop them breaking New Zealand's record of consecutive test
:45:10. > :45:14.wins and you can't tell me that the Irish will not be motivated to do
:45:15. > :45:17.that. Ireland are not going to the championship like many predicted
:45:18. > :45:22.they would, but you don't need any greater motivation than to stop
:45:23. > :45:28.England from getting a second did -- second consecutive Grand Slam?
:45:29. > :45:33.Absolutely. That is the holding. The guys alluded to it early on. It is
:45:34. > :45:37.talked about a lot in Wales, or maybe they just don't admit it. The
:45:38. > :45:40.Lions thing is issue. When Wales were in the position against Ireland
:45:41. > :45:46.last week and Ireland were favourites in Wales, it is almost a
:45:47. > :45:50.flip. Next week, is the simple fact that England are coming to Ireland
:45:51. > :45:55.as favourites with the job done with the championship, but there is a
:45:56. > :45:59.huge amount of players who personally need to make sure that
:46:00. > :46:03.they have really good games. And the motivation to stop them getting the
:46:04. > :46:08.Grand Slam, listen, you don't need any more motivation than that. What
:46:09. > :46:14.do we do, do they stick with the same team? They were talking about
:46:15. > :46:18.mixing it up. Is that what you would do? Personally, I would make
:46:19. > :46:23.changes. I think the back row needs to change. That is a hard one to
:46:24. > :46:28.call. Whatever you do, Peter O'Mahony needs to come into the back
:46:29. > :46:33.row, I think. He said that the line-out has gone well, and Peter is
:46:34. > :46:41.a better option, no doubt about that, but, to me, they could even go
:46:42. > :46:46.with the stalwart, putting in Brian, and putting Peter O'Mahony at six.
:46:47. > :46:53.There needs to be some change. I would bring, into the team at
:46:54. > :46:58.full-back, Payne. I would like to see change, but not just for the
:46:59. > :47:03.sake of it, it need some sort of response. It seems that when we were
:47:04. > :47:07.in trouble on the park, the response isn't there, so maybe the coaches
:47:08. > :47:11.have to generate a response, themselves. England looked pretty
:47:12. > :47:18.good yesterday. Can Ireland do it? They have got one week to solve the
:47:19. > :47:22.issues of this weekend. They have had some fantastic wins. They have
:47:23. > :47:25.beaten the big three in the southern hemisphere in the 12 months
:47:26. > :47:31.previously, had some fantastic performances. Yes, they can do it.
:47:32. > :47:34.England did come out with a masterclass, with deceptive running
:47:35. > :47:38.and creating space. It is going to be one hell of a challenge to get it
:47:39. > :47:42.right. But there is nothing there that can't be done. It is just, will
:47:43. > :47:49.they do it? Talking about Wales, now. It has been a bit doom and
:47:50. > :47:53.gloom recently. Let's get your opinion on Wales. What do you make
:47:54. > :47:58.of Rob Howley's team at the moment and a situation that we are in?
:47:59. > :48:02.Wales, that has always been the head scratching thing with Wales. Why
:48:03. > :48:07.have they not been playing well? What has been the problem? The most
:48:08. > :48:12.experienced side, still an amazing set of players, so there is no
:48:13. > :48:15.reason to be going back, other Welsh players annoyed that their head
:48:16. > :48:20.coach has gone and the assistant coach has taken over, they are not
:48:21. > :48:24.responding as well to him? You still need the players to stand up. What's
:48:25. > :48:29.this pressure comes back on the players. More than anything, your
:48:30. > :48:33.senior players, remember those senior players, to a man, every one
:48:34. > :48:42.of them stood up and played one of the best games you have seen them in
:48:43. > :48:45.a hell of a long time. And I have no gone back to drying my socks that is
:48:46. > :48:51.the last I'm saying about Wales. Goodbye, now!
:48:52. > :49:00.APPLAUSE Still jealous, all right, then, what
:49:01. > :49:05.have you been looking at? The championship is one for both teams
:49:06. > :49:10.but France are an improving side and for Wales, Lions places and ranking
:49:11. > :49:14.points, but they are still a very dangerous team, France. Trying to
:49:15. > :49:21.get some tempo their game and the backs are instrumental. These two
:49:22. > :49:26.wingers, Vakatawa, he is very dangerous and gets involved all over
:49:27. > :49:31.the place. You can see Nakaitaci coming off his wing a lot, and
:49:32. > :49:34.Vakatawa is very close to him. It allows the big ball carrying French
:49:35. > :49:39.forward to get across the gain line. They have not scored many tries
:49:40. > :49:44.before the Italy game but they have, these guys can get across the gain
:49:45. > :49:47.line. Nakaitaci again off-loading in the first phase, and you cannot
:49:48. > :49:51.forget who's Picamoles, one of their better players, he finds himself out
:49:52. > :49:56.in the wider channels these days. They have some good, fluid ball
:49:57. > :50:04.runners and if they can get across the gain line they get the big
:50:05. > :50:08.forwards into play. Atonio, he is 136 kilograms, and if they can get
:50:09. > :50:13.him to play this quick tempo game it brings the outside backs into play.
:50:14. > :50:17.And then Gael Fickou, they have one of the provincial high scorers in
:50:18. > :50:28.the Six Nations now. Two of the best young players in the cabin ship have
:50:29. > :50:32.included Sarin and Godin. The Welsh front five only to be careful. If
:50:33. > :50:39.they get the off-loading game in then Wales could be in trouble, as
:50:40. > :50:42.good as their defence has again. But there are opportunities, like all
:50:43. > :50:51.big French backs, they do congregate a lot around the ruck and get quite
:50:52. > :50:54.lazy, and so, spotting when this is not necessarily, Italy creating
:50:55. > :50:57.overlaps, but they didn't have the class or maybe a George North in the
:50:58. > :51:02.white channels to finish them off. Early on, the French backs looked
:51:03. > :51:07.in, they spot out of airline and that man, Sergio Parisse, got some
:51:08. > :51:11.consolation. My question would be to Martin, next week, to be blood some
:51:12. > :51:20.youngsters audibly just go for Lions places? -- or do we just go. I know
:51:21. > :51:27.that I am in the minority, I would keep more or less the same team.
:51:28. > :51:31.Maybe, I know that I would keep going about this, Liam Williams at
:51:32. > :51:35.15. That is the only experiment I would make. Looking at the Six
:51:36. > :51:39.Nations as a whole, taking Italy out of it, there has been one away win
:51:40. > :51:44.and that was England against us. Every other game between the big
:51:45. > :51:48.teams has been home win. It is vital, if we win next week we could
:51:49. > :51:55.finish runners-up, if we lose, we could finish fifth. These boys are
:51:56. > :52:00.right to play again, they have earned the right to play next week.
:52:01. > :52:03.You say, who are you going to put in, but there's quite a long list of
:52:04. > :52:09.players that the public would maybe like to see given a chance, isn't
:52:10. > :52:13.there? Sure, but having named the same team after the surrender in
:52:14. > :52:19.Scotland there is no way it's going to be anything other than the same
:52:20. > :52:23.23. I'd like to see Sam Davies given ago. It is too late now. There were
:52:24. > :52:26.opportunities that were missed in December to do that. Paris is a huge
:52:27. > :52:30.game for people like Leigh Halfpenny. It would have been
:52:31. > :52:36.sacrilegious to think of a line squad without him being in it a few
:52:37. > :52:40.months ago, but we saw yesterday, arguably, Rob Carney, who was many
:52:41. > :52:44.people's favourite at the start of the season, playing himself out of
:52:45. > :52:48.Lions contingent. I don't see him as the test full-back Alessi produces
:52:49. > :52:53.something big. It is like a kaleidoscope. Every round, the
:52:54. > :52:57.picture changes. And suddenly people come in that you haven't thought of.
:52:58. > :53:02.We've seen great performances from some of the Welsh team and we say,
:53:03. > :53:06.yes, they are back in the lines, so should we be looking at the Irish
:53:07. > :53:11.team that didn't play as well, should one performance define some
:53:12. > :53:15.of the individuals? They have got everything to play for against
:53:16. > :53:19.England now. The majority of the lines will be made up by England and
:53:20. > :53:27.who can knock some of those out was going to be the question? I think to
:53:28. > :53:31.be Faletau is one of the best No. 8 s on the world and has been for
:53:32. > :53:33.another of years and that is harsh on Murray Artie because he has done
:53:34. > :53:43.nothing wrong and played well against England. So he comes back in
:53:44. > :53:47.for me, Faletau. The argument is that world ranking points are not a
:53:48. > :53:59.risk. So if you don't experiment now, when do you? People would give
:54:00. > :54:03.their right arm to play for Wales. But if you are not the best, you
:54:04. > :54:09.appreciate sometimes you get picked, or you don't. So only three recap
:54:10. > :54:13.since the World Cup? Because they are not good enough. That is one way
:54:14. > :54:18.of looking at it. Maybe England have got strength in depth and that is
:54:19. > :54:22.why the changes are made. Against Japan, a saved them and through the
:54:23. > :54:27.big boys in at the end but against Tonga and Samoa, blood them in
:54:28. > :54:32.there. But the outside-half position in the lines is very tight. If Dan
:54:33. > :54:37.Biggar has a good big game, George North has had one big game in this
:54:38. > :54:42.tournament, he maybe deserves to go and meet our one big game again. I
:54:43. > :54:51.agree, I would have Faletau at No. 8, he's the best, Moriarty has been
:54:52. > :54:53.brilliant, and then I would go with Leigh Halfpenny, he's got the better
:54:54. > :55:00.chance of playing on the wing for the lines. As Johnny Sexton on a
:55:01. > :55:02.different planet to every stand-off in the championship? On his
:55:03. > :55:08.all-round game, he has been fantastic. When you watch him from a
:55:09. > :55:12.common point of view, you would watch him, he was directing
:55:13. > :55:24.everything, the forwards, the backs, he is brilliant. But for me, George
:55:25. > :55:28.Ford, because of that ten - 12 access, the back line, it needs to
:55:29. > :55:31.be able to score tries. The All Blacks will score tries against the
:55:32. > :55:35.lines and we have to score tries against them. Sexton is there,
:55:36. > :55:40.George Ford is there, and there's maybe one spot and Dan Biggar maybe
:55:41. > :55:47.deserves... And you're not going to risk Farrell in the midweek games.
:55:48. > :55:52.Then you have got two tens. I did think we should make decisions about
:55:53. > :55:55.who plays for Wales against rust depending on who has got the chance
:55:56. > :55:58.to go and play for the lines. We pick the side because of what is
:55:59. > :56:04.good for us, not just this game but for the future. Obviously we want to
:56:05. > :56:07.win and I don't think we can make changes, if necessary, like Shane
:56:08. > :56:16.said about Ireland. You've got to make some changes now. Who would you
:56:17. > :56:21.change? Liam has got to be played in at full-back. If we can become a
:56:22. > :56:24.contract attacking side, Leigh Halfpenny, for all his strengths,
:56:25. > :56:28.does not do that for us. Liam Williams seems to be the guy to do
:56:29. > :56:33.that for us. Unless we try Sam Davies in the game, he has to have a
:56:34. > :56:37.substantial amount of time in a proper Test match like that, not
:56:38. > :56:43.against Tonga away, but under pressure against equality, world
:56:44. > :56:51.ranking side, can you do it there? Until we try we will never know.
:56:52. > :56:56.We'll be win in Paris? They have won five in a row against France, so
:56:57. > :57:00.nothing to fear, but picking up on Glyn's point, he's made it
:57:01. > :57:04.desperately late to make the changes that should have been made months
:57:05. > :57:08.ago. Just so as not to underestimate, Ross, the importance
:57:09. > :57:12.of that win. Ireland have been a big team. Four months ago on the same
:57:13. > :57:19.day when Wales were abysmal against Australia, Ireland in one of their
:57:20. > :57:28.all-time greatest matches, beat the All Blacks. Thank you for your time,
:57:29. > :57:37.James. Jonathan Davies, Glyn Jones and Martyn Williams. Thank you for
:57:38. > :57:41.watching. There is a Facebook live page after this at 7:10pm. Hopefully
:57:42. > :57:47.we will be celebrating a win in Paris, but for now, let's revel in
:57:48. > :58:08.the highlights from Friday. Good night.
:58:09. > :59:00.Roberts from the line. Roberts! And Wales are just won the encounter.
:59:01. > :59:06.Create your own personal My Sport page and get the latest
:59:07. > :59:10.updates on Welsh rugby and Six Nations.